Thread by @securitysplat

#Interesting #DefenseIndustry nexus here - #Iraq and #UAE. #Iraq's @Nina_news_1 reports that the head of the Military Industrialization Authority, Muhammad Sahib Al-Daraji, received the Ambassador of the #UAE (Salem Issa Al-Zaabi) to Baghdad yesterday: ninanews.com/Website/News/D…

"A statement by the Authority stated that during the meeting, they discussed bilateral relations between the two brotherly countries and ways to strengthen them, as well as the issue of the UAE's investment in industrial cities in Iraq...

"which will contribute to strengthening the bonds of cooperation in the #defense #industries between the two countries and benefiting from the #UAE #PrivateSector to supplement industrial investment in #Iraq on both sides, the #civil and #military."

#Iraq launched the Industrial Cities programme last year, with the first to be constructed near #Baghdad: zawya.com/mena/en/projec…

#Iraq established the Military Industrialization Commission in 2019 "to meet the needs of the armed and security forces of weapons and ammunition and support the national economy by reducing the import of these Equipment"
ina.iq/eng/6111--.html

So now we're at the possible production phase. The #UAE's @_edgegroup subsidiary #NIMR has been marketing its vehicles to the country, and the @Nina_news_1 reported hinted that #Egypt had also been talking to #Iraq - so perhaps the IMUT #MRAP is an option as well.

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